recycling

DVDs are a bit of a challenge to recycle. Not only are they made from polycarbonate plastic which is produced from crude oil, but places where you can recycle them are few and far between. DVD cases are a little easier to get rid of in an environmentally friendly way.

Can DVDs and DVD cases be recycled?

Letâ€™s talk about the DVDs themselves first of all. The problem with these is that most recycling centers wonâ€™t accept them. Or if they do, they end up going in the big skip destined for landfill. However, due to everyone becoming more environmentally aware there are now some volunteer organisations being set up who will accept and recycle DVDs and CDs. One such one can be found at www.cdrecyclingcenter.com. If you decide to send your DVDs and CDs to them and are worried that they may contain confidential information it is advisable to shred them first.

There are other ways to recycle DVDs, the easiest and most efficient is to either donate or sell them on to others who may have a use for them.

DVD cases are a far easier problem to deal with. Not only do most recycling centers accept them, you may well find that other people can put them to good use. Some people want them for storage; others will use them for various art creations and other projects. You can advertise them on FreeCycle and will probably be inundated with offers to take them off your hands.

If you want to take them to a recycling center but are unsure of where to go, just visit www.earth911.com and type in your zip code for the nearest center to you.

What are the possibilities for the recycled DVD and DVD cases?

There are a huge number of ways that old, unusable DVDs can be put to use. Some people use them as reflectors, others in art projects or decorations. Itâ€™s common for a whole bunch of them to be threaded onto wire or string and used as a kind of scarecrow in the garden. You can probably think of a load more ideas if you put your mind to it.

You may find that local libraries and schools will be happy to take the DVD cases off your hands, along with any suitable and working DVDs.

But what about the resources used in the DVD recycling process?

If you pass your DVDs and cases onto other users, there are no other resources used in recycling. If DVDs go into the trash then they will end up in landfill, which is not what any of us should be aiming for. DVDs do not break down and will still remain in a few hundred years from now, and thereâ€™s also a danger that they can leech toxic substances into the surrounding soil as well.

Egg cartons can be made from different substances such as plastic, Styrofoam or cardboard. Very often these just end up in the trash and from there they end up in landfill. But there are many ways that this can be prevented with a little creativity on your behalf.

Can egg cartons be recycled?

The problem with recycling egg cartons is that very often they become contaminated by food. However, cardboard ones can easily be recycled along with other various papers and cardboards. It should also be possible to recycle plastic egg cartons along with other plastics at your local recycling center. However, it is extremely likely that Styrofoam egg cartons will not be able to be recycled, so you should try to find other uses for them.

Because landfill is such a problem, all of us should try to think of ways in which we can re-use egg cartons, and there are multiple ways in which we can do this.

If you want to dispose of them at a recycling center and are unsure of the closest to where you live, visit www.earth911.com and enter your zip code.

What are the possibilities for recycling egg cartons?

Reusing egg cartons is the best possible option. There are a whole bunch of ways you can do this, and the following are some of the various uses you might like to use:

Storage for golf balls

Break up Styrofoam egg cartons and use as a packaging material. This is virtually identical to the Styrofoam packing peanuts or inserts which can be purchased from packaging companies

Egg cartons are the perfect tool for growing seeds until they are ready to be transplanted outside or to a larger container

Cardboard ones can be used as fire-lighters for starting bonfires

Styrofoam egg cartons can be washed and used as ice-cube trays

Use for various crafts; they are great for cutting up and using in many creative ways. Perfect for kids and adults alike. You could even consider donating them to your local school for the kids to use there.

But what about the resources used in the egg carton recycling process?

If you re-use your egg cartons then there are absolutely no resources used in this type of recycling. This is the best possible way of recycling, and should be something you should try to adhere to when recycling any materials. By turning waste into something other than trash, then everyone benefits, along with the environment.

Very often cardboard egg cartons are made from recycled paper, so look for any signs which tell you so and try to buy these ones if at all possible. It is always preferable to use recycled products rather than new ones.